Eli Lilly (LLY) believes its experimental weight-loss pill, orforglipron, has the potential to increase global access to GLP-1 treatments. The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Lucas Montarce, shared this outlook at the Leerink 2025 Global Healthcare Conference on Monday.
Montarce highlighted several reasons why an oral medication could broaden access to GLP-1 drugs, which gained widespread attention through Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Ozempic. GLP-1s, a class of incretin drugs, mimic hormones that regulate blood sugar and reduce appetite. According to Morgan Stanley analysts, the global market for GLP-1 medications is expected to reach $105 billion by 2030.
One key advantage of orforglipron is its potential to appeal to patients who prefer oral treatments over injections. Current GLP-1 medications are delivered by injection, and pills are typically less expensive and simpler to produce and distribute. This could make them more scalable worldwide.
Moreover, Montarce noted that oral medications might be more easily covered by government health programs and insurance providers, which could further increase access to these treatments.
Orforglipron is currently in Phase 3 trials, with earlier studies showing that it helped participants lose an average of nearly 15% of their weight after 36 weeks. In comparison, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy showed a 15% weight loss after 68 weeks at the highest dose in clinical trials. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, at its highest dose, resulted in over 20% weight loss after 72 weeks.
Eli Lilly’s CEO, Dave Ricks, told Bloomberg News in January that Phase 3 trial results for orforglipron are expected before mid-2025. If successful, the drug could receive regulatory approval by 2026.
Ricks also pointed out that orforglipron, as a pill, would be easier to mass-produce and simpler for patients to take compared to the injectable medications that dominate the market, including Zepbound, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk is also working on a GLP-1 weight-loss pill. Last year, the company reported that a once-daily 50mg dose of its pill, amycretin, helped participants lose an average of 10.4% of their weight in three months. Those who took two pills daily lost an average of 13.1% of their weight during the same period.
